TRY-OUT: Duke's Beta Claim.

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He had done it.

Claimed a land under the powerful Alpha, taken Beta of the Light lands. His parents would be proud. Tossing his mighty head and allowing his mane to flop to and fro, Duke felt like he was standing in top of the world. Skin tightened over muscles as he began to canter, his patrol for the day would be brief as he had other things to do. His herd came first, even though he had hardly enough of a herd to call it one. His birth herd had been small too, maybe that was why he was far more comfortable with a herd such as this. But regardless of numbers, Duke would take care of his herd, small or mighty. Duke continued his leisure canter, never really stopping if only to turn his head this way or that. He was always on the look out for danger, always keeping his ears cocked for noises he couldn't place. Where he was blind, the stud had strong hearing to make up for it.

Thankfully, he was only blind in one eye.

Hooves thudded the ground as he came to a stop, letting his muscles take a well deserved break. Cantering wasn't a chore as galloping was; Duke could keep up with a gelding half his age if he dare tried to. His flanks quivered with the unadulterated excitement he felt for his accomplishment, though, keeping all fatigue out of his well developed body. Duke knew he would have a strong herd to match the Alpha Lights, who within themselves were strong and powerful; they were the bar Duke had to surpass one day. Duke would show everyone that a half blind stallion could rule a powerful herd. A different feeling arose within him as he stared out into his lands, the breeze shifting from the south to blow east, combing its invisible fingers through his mane and tail. He was going to show everyone that he should not have been shunned at such a young and easily impressionable age; he was worth having around and now they would never know.

'Now now, Duke. Calm down and look at the beautiful land you've been given,' His mind coaxed as he began to walk down the hill and into where the sand met water. The air picked up a salty tang to it, and when the rains came Duke would spend days here - as he knew he would - and carefully keep the water from flooding the small streams and bellowing out into the valley. The coves were truly beautiful, a sight for lucky equines such as himself. Fragile shells cracked and broke under his hooves, and as he carefully tried to tred around them, there were always one or two that broke. Duke stared at the water as it lapped lazily at the shore, bringing sand back with it as it ebbed in and out. Duke felt calm and at ease here, his pelt shivering with the anxiousness that was a new leader.

Turning from his newly appointed favorite site, he turned tail and began to gallop back to the main valley, where he would keep his herd safe from prowling predators and the like. They were close to the Alpha herd, there in the valley. Their scents would come down with the wind, giving Duke a sense of protection should they ever be attacked. He followed the path that had been here before the time of equines, and soon was face to face with the large valley, nestled between hills of his glorious land. He reared silently, excitement and pride rising high within him.

Let them come and make jokes of his blindness, because he would meet them all with a strong, young herd.